Geothermal

Your home should be a total comfort zone, warming and cooling you quietly in the most efficient manner as possible.

A Ground Source Heat Pump, GSHP system warms air in smaller increments over a longer period of time, as compared to the "burst" of a combustion gas furnace. As a result, homeowners notice a stable level of heat with no peaks or troughs and fewer drafts. As well as offering superior comfort a GSHP is a premium system usually operating at reduced noise levels. GSHP’s do not have the drying effect of hotter combustion type furnaces which in turn means more comfort due to less dry air. Ground-source heat pumps do not create heat through combustion; they simply move solar heat that is stored in soil or water from one place to another.

Geothermal Protect your future investments by keeping the environment clean. Your children and grandchildren are your most precious treasures and will still be here when you’re gone.
Between 1900 and 2005, temperatures at the Earth's surface have increased by an estimated 1.4°F (0.8°C), and the hottest 22 years on record have occurred since 1980 with 2005 being the hottest. Projections of future warming suggest a global increase of 2.5ºF (1.4ºC) to 10.4ºF (5.8ºC) by 2100, with warming in the United States expected to be even higher. Geothermal systems significantly help reduce green-house gas emissions thus slowing the global warming process. A geothermal system installed in an average-sized home reduces fossil fuel emissions by the equivalent of taking two cars off the road, or planting an acre of trees. Being good stewards of the earth’s resources and respecting the environment will ensure a safe future for generations to come. Practice the Four R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, RESPECT!

 

Geothermal How does it actually work? Click Here

A geothermal system uses the energy of the sun, stored in the earth, to keep you in comfort all year round. Depending on your geographic location the earth's temperature remains approximately 6 to 10°C (50°F) below the frost line. Here in Manitoba this figure is about 42-44 degrees F as a constant. What does this mean? This means that you have a steady supply of heat below the frost line to keep you in comfort, even in the depths of a Manitoba winter. 

What happens is an antifreeze mixture usually a methanol water solution is circulated through a series of high density polyethylene pipes buried in the ground. As it circulates in the winter months the methanol water mixture absorbs heat energy from the ground; this fluid is pumped back through the geothermal unit located in the house. The geothermal system processes the extracted heat and compresses it to a higher usable temperature, which is then distributed throughout the home using traditional duct systems. In the summer, the heat transfer process takes place in reverse. The fluid in the pipes leaves the house in a warmer state and rejects the heat energy into the ground like a heat sink. This renewable energy then re-warms the earth for the next heating season. GSHP systems may be configured as "Closed Vertical Loop", "Closed Horizontal Loop", "Closed Pond, River or Lake Loop" or an "Open Well" System. By using the natural temperature of the earth, a geothermal system is the most efficient method available to provide year round comfort and high efficiency performance. Using geothermal for heating and cooling changes the way you pay for energy. Because you are taking advantage of the natural heating (or cooling) capacity of the earth, on property you own, you are drawing upon a new resource that is essentially free. 

Note: The above chart illustration is for a heat-pump with a COP of 2.5. GSHP’s can have COP ratings of more than 4 for very efficient systems.

Geothermal Co-efficient of performance, efficiency and energy savings.

The distinct advantage of a GSHP is that the heat energy obtained from the ground is significantly greater than the input energy to drive the components doing the actual work. Co-efficient of performance or COP is defined as the ratio of energy produced versus the initial energy consumed to drive the compressor or motors etc. or another way of looking at it is “what you got, divided by what you paid for”. Example; A Ground source heat pump with a COP rating of 3 would be one–third the cost to operate compared to an electric furnace system. One part coming from the initial energy consumed to do the work and the remaining three parts of energy coming from the heat absorbed from the ground. (I.e. for every kilowatt of electricity needed to operate the system, the GSHP provides three kilowatts of heat energy). Again, best of all this energy is free! The annual savings in utility costs in just 5 years can greatly offset the initial expense of installing a GSHP system. Modern heating systems that use fossil fuels can be 95%+ efficient, while ground source heat pumps can be 400%+ efficient.

 

Geothermal Heat Loss, your first step in the process of considering a GSHP.

A very important first step in the design of a GSHP installation is to determine how much heat or cooling is required to satisfy your comfort level. There are standards to calculate the heat loss and heat gain throughout the world. The national Canadian installation standard for residential earth energy units (CSA C445) states that the heat loss must be calculated in accordance with a recognised heat loss program. This method needs to establish, the insulation levels of all walls, ceilings and windows, the number of occupants, your geographic location and soil type, and many other factors, to determine the total annual heat loss in British Thermal Units (BTU) or kilowatts (kW). It will also calculate the heat gain, which is used to determine the cooling load for summer (all units will generally provide sufficient cooling, if the unit is large enough to provide sufficient heat). With this final heat loss, the installed unit will match your specific demand.